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A veteran Wyoming Borough councilman wants to expand use of the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers program to fight the growing drug-use and gang problems in Luzerne County.

"We used Crime Stoppers more effectively years ago," said Steve Nalewajko, the Wyoming councilman. "We must make people more aware that this tips program exists," he said.

Crime Stoppers is an arm of Pennsylvania Crime Watch. People can submit tips anonymously and Crime Stoppers can make a cash payment where the information leads to an arrest and conviction, Nalewajko said.

With or without Crime Stoppers involvement, people can call their local police or state police with tips and information on crimes. Many of these types of calls are made in the context of Crime Watch or Neighborhood Watch programs.

Nalewajko, 83 and a councilman for 25 years, said he would like to see the office of District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis get behind Crime Stoppers. The head of the DA's office's Community Services Division, Detective Charles Balogh, said the office is open to becoming involved and he said he would contact Nalewajko.

"As long as we can doing anything legally, such as links to the Crime Stoppers website, we would be open-minded," Balogh said.

The number of Crime Watch and Neighborhood Watch organizations in Luzerne County is on the rise. Balogh said there are 30-plus such groups now. The real challenge, he said, is finding people to sustain the interest in running a Crime Watch after a particular problem that might have sparked its creation is resolved.

The district attorney revived the Luzerne County Crime Watch Coalition earlier this year. Crime watches have been started and are ongoing in Ashley, Sweet Valley, Duryea, West Hazleton and Hanover Township. Wilkes-Barre City has a long-standing and successful Crime Watch that conducts meetings in various sections of the community.

State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Plymouth Township, will speak at the Ashley Crime Watch meeting at 7 tonight at St. Leo's/Holy Rosary Church hall, Manhattan Street, Ashley. Yudichak is expected to discuss regional approaches to fighting drug use and gangs.

Hanover Township Crime Watch meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the American Legion home, Lee Park. When the Hanover group held its first meeting in September, people from the Ashley and Wilkes-Barre watch groups attended.

Nalewajko is a representative to the new West Side Council of Governments and, when the COG organized last month, he urged more intercommunity cooperation in the Crime Watch and Crime Stoppers programs.

Balogh said some town watches have websites that could be links to Crime Stoppers. The DA's site already lists services such as support of victims' notification and backing of neighborhood watch groups.

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